Article 1 - City Administration
Article 1 – City Administration
SECTION 1-101: CORPORATE EXISTENCE
SECTION 1-102: OFFICIAL CORPORATE SEAL
SECTION 1-103: OATH OF OFFICE; CITY OFFICIALS
SECTION 1-104: BONDS; blanket bond
SECTION 1-106: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
SECTION 1-107: EXAMINATION AND DUPLICATION OF PUBLIC RECORDS; FEES; CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS
SECTION 1-108: PERSONNEL POLICIES
SECTION 1-101: CORPORATE EXISTENCE
The City of Grant, Nebraska, is hereby declared to be a city of the second class and shall be governed in all respects by the laws regulating cities of the second class. (Neb. Rev. Stat. §17-101)
SECTION 1-102: OFFICIAL CORPORATE SEAL
The Official corporate seal of the city shall be kept in the office of the city clerk and may bear the following inscription: "City of Grant, Perkins County, Nebraska, Seal." The city clerk shall affix an impression of the said official seal to all warrants, licenses, permits, ordinances, and all other official papers issued by order of the mayor and the City Council and countersigned by the mayor and the city clerk. (Neb. Rev. Stat. §17-502)
SECTION 1-103: OATH OF OFFICE; CITY OFFICIALS
A. All elected or appointed officials of the city shall, before entering upon their respective duties, take and subscribe the following oath which shall be endorsed upon their respective bonds, except when a different oath is specifically provided herein:
"I, _______________, do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Nebraska against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely and without mental reservation or for the purpose of evasion; and that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of the office of ________________ according to law and to the best of my ability. And I do further swear that I do not advocate nor am I a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence; and that during such time as I am in this position I will not advocate nor become a member of any political party or organization that advocates the overthrow of the government of the United States or of this state by force or violence. So help me God."
B. If any such officer is not required to give bond, the oath shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state or with the city clerk.
SECTION 1-104: BONDS; blanket bond
A. The city may enact ordinances or bylaws to require from all officers and servants, elected or appointed, bonds and security or evidence of equivalent insurance for the faithful performance of their duties. All official bonds of city officers must be in form, joint and several, and made payable to the city in such penalty as the City Council may fix. All official bonds shall obligate the principal and sureties for the faithful discharge of all duties required by law of such principal and shall inure to the benefit of any persons injured by a breach of the conditions of such bonds. The approval of each official bond shall be endorsed upon such bond by the officer approving the same and no bond shall be filed and recorded until so approved. No bond shall be deemed to be given or complete until the approval of the City Council and all sureties are endorsed in writing on the instrument by the mayor and city clerk pursuant to the approval of the council. In place of the individual bonds required to be furnished by municipal officers, a blanket bond or undertaking or evidence of equivalent insurance may be given by the officers. The city may pay the premium for the bond or insurance coverage, which shall be, at a minimum, an aggregate of the amounts fixed by law or by the City Council and with such terms and conditions as may be required.
B. All official bonds of local officers shall be executed by the principal named in such bonds and by at least two sufficient sureties who shall be freeholders of the county in which such bonds are given; or any official bond of a local officer may be executed by the officer as principal and by a guaranty, surety, fidelity or bonding company as surety or by two or more of such companies. Only such companies as are legally authorized to transact business in this state shall be eligible to suretyship on the bond of a local officer. No official bond shall be rendered void by reason of any informality or irregularity in its execution or approval.
C. Official bonds, with the oath endorsed thereon, shall be filed in the proper office within the following time: (1) of all officers elected at any general election, following receipt of their election certificate and not later than ten days before the first Thursday after the first Tuesday in January next succeeding the election; (2) of all appointed officers, within 30 days after their appointment; and (3) of officers elected at any special election and city officers, within 30 days after the canvass of the votes of the election at which they were chosen. The filing of the bond with the oath endorsed thereon does not authorize a person to take any official action prior to the beginning of his or her term of office pursuant to Article XVII, Section 5 of the Constitution of Nebraska.
D. The officers with whom any official bonds are required by law to be filed shall carefully record and preserve the same in their respective offices and shall give certified copies thereof, when required, under the seal of their office and shall be entitled to receive for the same the usual fee allowed by law for certified copies of records in other cases.
E. If any person elected or appointed to any office neglects to have his or her official bond executed and approved as provided by law and filed for record within the time limited by Neb. Rev. Stat. §§11-101 to 11-122, the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. §11-115 shall apply.
F. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy, before entering upon the duties of the office, must give a bond corresponding in substance and form with the bond required of the officer originally elected or appointed, as herein provided. When the incumbent of an office is re-elected or re-appointed, he or she shall qualify by taking the oath and giving the bond as above directed; but when such officer has had public funds or property in his or her control, his or her bond shall not be approved until he or she has produced and fully accounted for such funds and property. When it is ascertained that the incumbent of an office holds over by reason of the non-election or non-appointment of a successor or of the neglect or refusal of the successor to qualify, he or she shall qualify anew within ten days from the time at which his or her successor, if elected, should have qualified.
(Neb. Rev. Stat. §§11-103 to 11-105, 11-109 to 11-113, 11-115 to 11-117, 17-604) (Ord. No. 07-11, 12/11/07)
A. The officers and employees of the city shall receive such compensation as the mayor and City Council shall fix by ordinance. The city may enact ordinances or bylaws to regulate and prescribe the compensation of officers not provided for in state law. No officer shall receive any pay or perquisites from the city other than his or her salary. The council shall not pay or appropriate any money or other valuable thing to any person not an officer for the performance of any act, service or duty, the doing or performance of which shall come within the proper scope of the duties of any officer of the city.
B. The compensation of any elective official of the city shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which he or she shall have been elected except when there has been a merger of offices; provided, the compensation of the members of the City Council, a board or commission may be increased or diminished at the beginning of the full term of any member whether or not the terms of one or more members commence and end at different times. No elected official may be rehired at a greater salary if he or she resigns and desires to be rehired during the unexpired term of office. The official may be rehired after the term of office during which he or she resigned at a greater salary.
C. All salaries of the elective officers of the city shall be set by ordinance by the City Council and kept on file at the office of the city clerk for public inspection.
(Neb. Rev. Stat. §§17-108, 17-108.02, 17-604, 17-611, 17-612)
SECTION 1-106: CONFLICT OF INTEREST
A. For purposes of this section, “officer” shall mean: (1) any member of any council or commission of the city; (2) any appointed official if such city official serves on a council or commission which spends and administers its own funds and is dealing with a contract made by such council or commission; or (3) any elected city official. “Immediate family” shall mean a child residing in an individual's household, a spouse of an individual, or an individual claimed by that individual or that individual's spouse as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.
B. Unless specified otherwise, volunteer firefighters and ambulance drivers shall not be considered officers for purposes of this section with respect to their duties as firefighters and ambulance drivers.
C. No officer of the city shall be permitted to benefit from any contract to which the city is a party. The existence of such an interest in any contract renders the contract voidable by decree of a court of competent jurisdiction as to any person who entered into the contract or took assignment thereof with actual knowledge of the prohibited conflict. An action to have a contract declared void under this section may be brought by the city or by any resident thereof and must be brought within one year after the contract is signed or assigned. Any such decree may provide for the reimbursement of any person for the reasonable value of all money, goods, material, labor, or services furnished under the contract, to the extent that the city has benefited thereby. The prohibition in this section shall apply only when the officer or his or her parent, spouse, or child:
1. Has a business with which the individual is associated or a business association which shall mean a business (a) in which the individual is a partner, director or officer or (b) in which the individual or a member of the individual's immediate family is a stockholder of a closed corporation stock worth $1,000.00 or more at fair market value or which represents more than 5% equity interest, or is a stockholder of publicly traded stock worth $10,000.00 or more at fair market value or which represents more than 10% equity interest; an individual who occupies a confidential professional relationship protected by law shall be exempt from the definition herein and this definition shall not apply to publicly traded stock under a trading account if the filer reports the name and address of the stockbroker; or
2. Will receive a direct pecuniary fee or commission as a result of the contract; provided, however, if such officer is an employee of the business involved in the contract and has no ownership interest or will not receive a pecuniary fee, such officer shall not be deemed to have an interest within the meaning of this section.
D. The provisions of this section shall not apply if the interested officer:
1. Makes a declaration on the record to the governmental body responsible for approving the contract regarding the nature and extent of his or her interest, prior to official consideration of the contract;
2. Does not vote on the matter of granting the contract, except that if the number of members of the body declaring an interest in the contract would prevent the body, with all members present, from securing a quorum on the issue, then all members may vote on the matter; and
3. Does not act for the governing body as to inspection or performance under the contract in which he or she has an interest.
E. The receiving of deposits, cashing of checks, and buying and selling of warrants and bonds of indebtedness of any city by a financial institution shall not be considered a contract under the provisions of this section. The ownership of less than 5% of the outstanding shares of a corporation shall not constitute an interest within the meaning of this section. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (D)(1) through (3) above, if an officer's parent, spouse or child is an employee of the city, the officer may vote on all issues of the contract which are generally applicable to all employees or all employees within a classification and do not single out his or her parent, spouse, or child for special action. If an officer has the power to employ personnel and he or she hires his or her parent, spouse, or child, such officer shall disclose the hiring pursuant to subsections (F)(1) through (5) below, except that if the parent, spouse, or child is already employed in the position at the time the officer takes office and such position does not change, no disclosure need be made. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, any contract entered into with an interested officer shall be subject to applicable competitive bidding requirements and shall be fair and reasonable to the city.
F. The city clerk shall maintain, separately from other records, a ledger containing the information listed in this subsection about every contract entered into by the city in which an officer has an interest as specified above for which disclosure is made as provided in subsections (D)(1) through (3) above. Such information shall be kept in the ledger for five years from the date of the officer's last day in office and shall include the (1) names of the contracting parties; (2) nature of the interest of the officer in question; (3) date that the contract was approved by the city; (4) amount of the contract; and (5) basic terms of the contract.
G. The information supplied relative to the contract shall be provided to the clerk not later than ten days after the contract has been signed by both parties. The ledger kept by the clerk shall be available for public inspection during normal working hours.
H. An open account established for the benefit of the city or entity thereof, with a business in which an officer has an interest, shall be deemed a contract subject to the provisions of this section. The statement required to be filed pursuant to this section shall be filed within ten days after such account is opened. Thereafter, the clerk shall maintain a running account of all amounts purchased on the open account. Purchases made from petty cash or a petty cash fund shall not be subject to the provisions of this section.
I. Any officer who knowingly violates the provisions of Neb. Rev. Stat. §§49-14,103.01 through 49-14,103.03 shall be guilty of a Class III misdemeanor. Any officer who negligently violates Neb. Rev. Stat. §§49-14,103.01 through 49-14,103.03 shall be guilty of a Class V misdemeanor.
J. Notwithstanding Neb. Rev. Stat. §49-14,103.01 to 49-14,103.03, the City Council may prohibit contracts over a specific dollar amount in which an officer of such body may have an interest.
K. The city may enact ordinances exempting from the provisions of this section contracts involving $100.00 or less in which an officer of such city may have an interest.
L. No officer shall receive any pay or perquisites from the city other than his or her salary. The City Council shall not pay or appropriate any money or other valuable thing to pay a person who is not an officer for the performance of any act, service, or duty which shall come within the proper scope of the duties of any officer of the city.
(Neb. Rev. Stat. §§17-611, 18-305 through 18-312, 49-1408, 49-1425, 49-14,103.01 through 49-14,103.03, 49-14,103.05, 49-14,103.06)
SECTION 1-107: EXAMINATION AND DUPLICATION OF PUBLIC RECORDS; FEES; CONFIDENTIAL RECORDS
All citizens of the city and all other persons interested in the examination of the public records of the city are fully empowered and authorized to examine such records and make memoranda copies thereof as provided in Neb. Rev. Stat. §84-712. Payment of fees may be required. Records which may be withheld from the public shall be as stated in Neb. Rev. Stat. §84-712.05. (Neb. Rev. Stat. §§84-712, 84-712.03 through 84-712.06)
SECTION 1-108: PERSONNEL POLICIES
The city’s personnel policies as set forth in Ordinance 03-13, passed August 26, 2003, and all amendments thereto are adopted by reference and incorporated herein as fully as if set out at length in the municipal code.